Information about how personal and medical information is handled in Professor Lubbe’s practice, your privacy rights, and how to request access to records.
1. Our commitment to privacy
Professor Darlene Lubbe is a specialist ENT surgeon consulting at Mediclinic Cape Town. Her practice is responsible for the personal and clinical information it holds and the services it provides.
The practice recognises the confidential nature of medical information and is committed to handling personal information lawfully and responsibly. This page explains how personal and medical information is handled, your privacy rights, and how to make requests.
The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA), the National Health Act and applicable professional obligations inform the handling of personal and medical records.
2. Information that may be collected
Depending on how you use this website or contact the practice, information may include your name and contact details; details provided in an enquiry or appointment request; referral letters; relevant medical history, investigations or supporting documents; and information needed for patient registration, administration, billing or medical scheme arrangements.
During the provision of healthcare, the practice may also hold consultation notes, clinical correspondence, consent records, investigation results, treatment information and related medical records. Such information is confidential.
The website may collect limited technical information, such as server logs, to support its operation and security. It may also use cookies to support its operation and improve the browsing experience. Visitors can manage cookies through their browser settings.
3. How information is received and used
Personal information may be provided directly by a patient or authorised representative, through a website enquiry or patient form, or by a referring healthcare professional, hospital, laboratory or other relevant source where permitted by law.
Information may be used to respond to enquiries; assess referrals; arrange consultations, investigations or procedures; communicate with patients and healthcare professionals; provide and document medical care; administer accounts and medical scheme matters; maintain the security and operation of website and practice systems; and comply with legal, ethical or professional obligations.
Information is processed on an applicable lawful basis. Consent is sought when required, including for optional activities where appropriate, but necessary clinical and legal processing may rely on other grounds provided for in POPIA.
Patient information is not used for marketing. Where patient information or clinical images are used for teaching, audit or research, appropriate confidentiality safeguards are applied, and consent is obtained where required by law or professional guidelines.
4. Website enquiries, appointment requests and forms
This website provides information about the practice. Some pages may also contain forms used to send an enquiry or complete patient administration. Information submitted through a form may be handled by the website’s hosting and administration systems before being directed to the practice.
To request an appointment or make an enquiry, contact the practice by telephone, email or WhatsApp using the details in section 10. For your privacy, please keep messages and forms brief and avoid including detailed medical information. Send referral letters, scans and other clinical records as the practice directs, and ask the rooms if you are unsure. Sending an enquiry does not guarantee an appointment.
5. Who may receive information
Personal information may be shared when reasonably necessary and lawfully permitted with treating or referring healthcare professionals; hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories and imaging providers; medical schemes and insurers; and administrative or technical service providers acting in support of the practice or website.
The practice may also disclose information where required by law or by an authorised regulator or court. Health information is not made available to unrelated third parties. Information is not sold to advertisers.
6. Confidentiality, security and electronic communications
Reasonable safeguards are used to protect personal information against inappropriate access, loss, alteration or disclosure. Safeguards may include authorised-access restrictions, confidentiality requirements, protection of electronic systems and secure handling of paper records. No website or electronic communication method can be guaranteed to be entirely free of risk.
Email, telephone, SMS and WhatsApp may be used for practice communications as appropriate.
7. Storage, retention and processing outside South Africa
Personal information is retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or longer where applicable healthcare, professional, tax or other legal duties require retention. Medical records may be subject to different retention periods depending on the circumstances, including where children are involved or litigation is reasonably anticipated.
The practice may use electronic services that process or store personal information outside South Africa. Any such processing must be managed in accordance with POPIA, including its requirements for lawful international transfers.
8. Your privacy rights
Subject to applicable law, you may ask whether the practice holds personal information about you, request access to that information, seek correction of inaccurate or incomplete details, object to certain processing, or request deletion where the law permits. Some records must be retained for clinical, legal or professional reasons and cannot always be deleted on request.
The practice may ask for proof of identity or authority before disclosing or amending personal information. You may also withdraw consent for an optional activity where consent is the applicable basis, without necessarily affecting information already lawfully processed or records the practice must retain.
Where the patient is a child, information is handled with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian where the law requires, and children’s records may be retained for longer.
9. Access to records under PAIA
PAIA allows requests for access to records held by private bodies, subject to statutory requirements and grounds for refusal. The practice’s PAIA Manual sets out contact details, categories of records and the procedure for making an access request, and a copy may also be requested from the practice. The Information Regulator provides the prescribed request form and guidance at https://inforegulator.org.za/paia/.
Requests concerning your clinical file or personal information should be directed to the practice using the details in section 10.
10. Contacting the practice
Professor Darlene Lubbe
Room A118, Mediclinic Cape Town, 21 Hof Street, Oranjezicht, Cape Town, 8001
Appointments and general enquiries: admin@proflubbe.co.za
Telephone / WhatsApp: +27 76 310 2340
Website: https://darlenelubbe.com/
Professor Lubbe is the Information Officer for her practice. Privacy and access requests should be sent to the details above, marked for the attention of the Information Officer.
11. Questions and complaints
If you have a question about how your information is handled, or would like to request access or correction, please contact the practice first. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator, subject to applicable procedures. Privacy (POPIA) complaints can be made through the Regulator’s website at https://inforegulator.org.za/, and access-to-records (PAIA) complaints by email at PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za.
This page may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, website features or the practice’s administrative arrangements.
Last updated: October 2026